Ferus
by The Goliath Beetle
Summary: During battle, Dark Ace and Aerrow crash land onto an uninhabited terra. It quickly becomes clear that if they want to survive, they're going to have to work together. As he learns more about Dark Ace's past, Aerrow realises that everything he believed in was a lie. That the line between a hero and a villain doesn't really exist. -With special thanks to Gyroscope-
1. Prologue

Ferus

* * *

**A/N: Long author's note coming up. **

**Before you begin reading this fic, I would like all of you to know that this is not entirely an original concept. The genesis of this idea came when I re-read a fanfic called 'Shadow' by a wonderful writer called Gyroscope. You can check it out on my Favourite Stories list on my profile. With permission from Gyroscope, this story will be taking some important elements from 'Shadow', such as why Dark Ace betrayed the original Storm Hawks, and also the names of the other team members of Lightning Strike's crew. **

**In a nutshell, **_**I have simply expanded on Gyroscope's idea. I take no credit for it. **_

**Secondly, it might take me some time to update this story. When it comes to fanfiction, my skills of plotting are deplorable until I actually start writing the story. That's why I'm posting the first chapter of this fic way before the whole thing has even been properly planned. **

**Let's start, shall we? **

* * *

A broken rib, a sprained ankle, maybe a second degree concussion. That, at least, was the initial diagnosis. Dark Ace was no expert in this sort of thing, but he'd been a warrior long enough to recognise a serious injury when he saw it. With this kind of pain, his chances of survival were high, but it wasn't going to be easy.

He kept his eyes closed because it helped with the offending headache. Nausea was building steadily but he was determined to keep it at bay. His beaten body lay flat on the ground. Long grass tickled his ears. He could smell dung nearby. Just great. Of all the places to crash land, did it have to be near the lavatory of some wild animal?

The many chimes of birdsong were like nails on a chalkboard. This definitely was a concussion. What would confirm it without a shadow of doubt would be slurred speech, and maybe a loss of memory. He was forgetting something…one more symptom…? Oh screw it. It was definitely a head injury.

The Dark Ace sat up suddenly, letting out a yelp of pain as his hand flew to his chest. Damn that rib. But he could wait no longer. Despite the pain, he twisted his body to the side just a little, threw up, and lay back down. His stomach still churned and the added stench of vomit wasn't helping.

He groaned, getting more accustomed to his environment. It was a dense, somewhat tropical forest. The canopy was thick, but he could see a large patch of sky through a bunch of broken treetops. Of course. He'd made that hole when he went down with his skimmer. Speaking of which…?

Yep, there it was! Whoa, what a mess. It was twisted and fractured and still smoking. Parts of it were melted. Melted? Why was it—oh, yes. Because the engine had caught fire. Because of…because of…because of a blast of a crystal tipped arrow, of course. That's why the damn thing had crashed anyway.

Wait. He was forgetting something else. Someone else. Aerrow. That's right. The little brat's skimmer had been shot out of the air quite early in battle but using those metallic wings (What were they called again?) of his, Aerrow continued to fight, planting himself on Dark Ace's vehicle while using his blades.

And then…who'd shot them out of the sky? Finn. The moron of the group. Dark Aced remembered now. Finn wasn't aiming for them, he was planning on shooting Ravess. Dark Ace, his skimmer, and Aerrow just got in the way in the wrong damn moment. Finn's crossbow's crystal tipped arrow went and hit his—Dark Ace's—switchblade's engine. They went tumbling downwards before they even knew it.

Trying to process everything, Dark Ace frowned. Aerrow had his glider (OH YES, that's what it was called!) so did he fall as well? The Cyclonian commander was sure that he had.

Did it matter? Right now, the Dark Ace needed to get off this terra, Aerrow or not. Once more, he tried to get up. But his body protested. The combined agony of his broken rib and concussion headache was too much. He saw stars, and was out cold in a matter of seconds.

* * *

Master Cyclonis was too quiet. She stared at Ravess with a completely blank expression, as though Ravess was a child who had just said something unintelligible.

"…Master?" the Cyclonian commander asked nervously.

Finally, Lark Cyclonis spoke. "Are you telling me that my best general was blasted out of the air and you don't know where he is?" Her voice was disbelieving.

"…Yes and no, Master. We know which terra he fell to, just not where he is on that terra."

"Well, go look for him."

"Uh…It won't be easy. The battle took place over Terra Ferus. It's jungle for miles on end and it's never really been charted before."

"Tough," Cyclonis said nonchalantly. "Find Dark Ace, or you'll be facing demotion."

Ravess squared her shoulders. "But Master Cyc—"

"You lost him, you find him. He's too valuable for us."

Ravess took offence and it showed on her face. Master Cyclonis looked bored. "Go. You're wasting my time and yours." The archer had always been a difficult one. Not as compliant as Snipe, and not as devoted to Cyclonia's cause as Dark Ace.

The magenta haired woman gave Master Cyclonis a poisonous look. "You'd be interested to know," she spat, "That the Storm Hawks' team leader, that snotty fool Aerrow, went down as well."

With that, Ravess marched out of the throne room, seething.

* * *

**A/N: Yep, my brain's already filling with ideas for this fic. Thank you for reading. Please review. **


	2. One Wrong Shot

**A/N: Politics depresses me so much. *Sobs and turns off the news***

* * *

_Twelve Hours Ago_

* * *

"I'm telling you, she fixes the game," Finn said bitterly as Piper won another round of Berry Blitz. "I don't know how she does it, but there's no other explanation."

"Actually, there is," Piper teased. "_I'm _just better than _you_."

"Please, that's not true. I could take you on right now if we hadn't run out of berries."

"Oh, suck it up, Finn. I'm the better shot and you know it." Laughingly, Piper went up to the bridge, sticking her tongue out at him in a playful manner.

Finn rolled his eyes. "Can you believe her?" he said to Aerrow.

The Sky Knight gave his best friend a sympathetic look.

"What? You don't seriously believe her, do you?"

"Ah, c'mon, Finn," he said, slightly uncomfortable. "Stop taking a game so seriously. Be a sport. She won fair and square."

"That's exactly what I'm trying to tell you!" Finn whined. "She didn't! She _cheated_!"

Aerrow gave Finn a slightly pitying smile. "Alright, I'll humor you. How could she have cheated? All of us saw her. She hit that target perfectly."

"Well, she could…Um…I dunno, maybe her berries were zapped with some kind of crystal."

"That doesn't seem logical."

"How is it not logical!"

They made their way from the hangar to the bridge, arguing all through. Finally, Finn gave up and sat down on the couch with a huge frown on his face. Junko tried to cheer him up by offering him a bite of his three foot long sandwich.

Finn shook his head. "I just filled myself up on berries," he muttered irritably. To Piper, he added, "I don't know how you do it, but I will find out."

Piper's smirk broadened. "What a sore loser."

Finn made a face and went to his room to mope in peace. _Sulking _was a verb he aced at. He was the undefeated champion of locking himself away from everyone else and bitterly thinking about how much Piper irritated him. He'd try to figure out various ways to best her or show her up but they never worked. So Finn would sulk some more.

It was half an hour later, when he was lying on his bed, solemnly strumming his guitar that The Condor shook violently and the emergency alarm rang.

_Oh, for god's sake, _he thought, annoyed, before leaping off his bed and running to the bridge.

It was pretty bad. The airship's windscreen had been shattered and glass was everywhere. A sudden panic rose in Finn as he saw Stork lying unconscious on the floor.

"FINN!" Aerrow screamed. "Get Stork to safety and join us outside!"

The sniper jumped to it. The others ran to the hangar while Finn tried to lug Stork's light frame to the nearest bedroom and _away _from all the broken glass.

Something hot ripped into Finn's shoulder and he screamed. Violin music. An arrow. Damn Ravess. She was looking right at them from that non-existent windscreen. Her face had something evil written on it.

"C'mon Stork, up you get, c'mon buddy." Finn half-carried, half-dragged Stork but the sniper's injured shoulder wasn't helping. The arrow still stuck out of it but Finn didn't dare distract himself enough to take it out. If he wasn't concentrating, they might get hit again.

There were terrible cuts on the merb's face. They were tiny and didn't look fatal, but with the blood loss from all of them, Stork's visage was painted red. The Condor shook again and for a moment, Finn thought it was going to fall out of the sky. But the ancient airship held, and the momentary horror went back to a general state of panic.

The other Storm Hawks were covering for them. They prevented any more attack to the ship. Finn managed to get Stork into Junko's room, a chamber nearest to the bridge. Then, he gritted his teeth and pulled out the arrow lodged in his shoulder.

The sniper almost fainted with the pain but held on. He still had a job to do. With iron resolve, he went to the hangar and found his skimmer.

* * *

It was all of ten minutes into battle when Aerrow's skimmer got hit. One metal wing broke off and hit another one. Within seconds, the Sky Knight started to fall. He deployed his gliders, feeling the thrill of the wind in his ears. He had Radarr in his arms, and tossed the little creature to Junko, who caught him easily.

Dark Ace's gleaming expression made Aerrow want to kill something. He suppressed the emotion. _Storm Hawks don't kill. _Unless they're traitors like the Talon Commander.

Aerrow glided towards Dark Ace. It had been Ace who had shot Aerrow out of the sky, and now Ace was going to go down. He perched himself on the Cyclonian skimmer.

Both warriors drew out their weapons.

At this point, there was no concept of 'Talon' or 'Storm Hawk'. It was simply a human urge to fight. To dominate. To win.

* * *

In a fight, Finn's one true gift was _awareness. _It was unique to him. It didn't always work (all those times his skimmer would get destroyed and he'd land crotch-first on someone else's switchblade…), but when it did, it was flawless.

Right now, Finn was aware. He was aware of Piper and Junko and Radarr all fighting like they were rabid. But most of all, Finn was all too conscious of Ravess. She was up to something.

She was positioned very oddly, behind and slightly to the left of Dark Ace and Aerrow. Her eyes were fixed on their battle. She wasn't fighting anyone else, but just watching them like a bird of prey. Her dainty fingers held her bow and arrow, waiting.

_She was going to shoot Aerrow. _

Finn knew it. He could almost see it happening. It was just pure instinct. His sniper-like tendencies were reading right through her and oh man, he _knew. _Aerrow was preoccupied and standing precariously on Dark Ace's skimmer's seat. Dark Ace himself was positioned almost on the nose of his Talon Switchblade Elite viciously fighting his opponent.

The young Storm Hawk silenced his mind. Finn was good at it. He raised his crossbow, numb to his bloodied shoulder. The injured limb didn't allow for an easy shot but he didn't even notice. The sniper was now unstoppable.

He had to stop Ravess before it was too late.

Finn aimed, Finn fired—

His eyes went wide in horror.

* * *

Aerrow almost yelped when Dark Ace's blade came down on him. The Sky Knight fluidly joined his twin blades and thrust the weapon forward to defend himself. The Cyclonian's energy sword _cut Aerrow's weapon in half _and almost sliced off his arm.

Aerrow was fast. He managed to doge the blade even though it cut his glider's wing. Just great. Weapon-less, flightless.

The Sky Knight let out a maniac roar. The Dark Ace was so dangerously positioned near the nose of the switchblade that a single nudge…

"IT'S OVER, DARK ACE!" he shouted, his palms clamping down on the skimmer's handles. In one movement, he surged the vehicle forward and twisted it sharply in another direction.

That's when he saw the crystal tipped arrow.

* * *

"NO!" Finn shrieked as Dark Ace's skimmer burst forward—right in the arrow's path.

It was meant for Ravess! Ravess! He had fired to hit Ravess!

The crystal tipped projectile connected with the accidental target, plunging into its engine like a knife.

The explosion was enormous.

The victims dropped like rocks. No-one really noticed exactly where they fell. Probably because the blast's fiery after-image scalded their eyes.

* * *

**A/N: I am really unhappy with this chapter. Try as I might, I couldn't breathe any life into it and it ended so badly!**

**Anyway, here's a tiny disclaimer stating that from the next chapter onward, I am going to be using certain swear words (oh, you know which ones I'm talking about), because I really think it's going to add more intensity, urgency and darkness to the prose. **

**Thanks for reading. You may flame this chapter. I know it sucks. **


	3. Phantom Laughter

**A/N: I have a weeeeird feeling this is leaning towards a Finn/Piper-ish pairing. I don't really ship it, but I don't have anything against it either, so…eh. We'll see. **

* * *

Piper was amazing. She really was. Finn didn't know how she could be this composed.

He was watching her now. Her pretty little hands were carefully picking out glass from Stork's face and neck. She was fast when she worked, and Stork didn't wince too much when she began cleaning the wounds. The merb would take a shuddering breath once or twice, but that was it.

"How are you feeling, Stork? Do you have a headache?"

"I'm alright," he told her softly. The helmsman was still trying to process what Piper had told him. Aerrow was missing. How could Aerrow be missing?

"Okay. Well, I'm almost done so I want you to—"

"Lie back down and don't move," Stork finished for her. "I know all about injuries, you know."

She hugged herself and nodded. Then she looked at Finn sadly. "You're going to need stitches," she said.

Finn was in no condition to argue. The blood loss from his shoulder had made him very pale and tired, and the abject terror of what he had done to his best friend still replayed over and over again in his head. He wanted to fall down and stay down and die. He'd killed Aerrow. He'd killed Aerrow.

"What are we going to do?" he asked her, his tone of voice betraying his exhaustion. "I don't believe…No-one could have survived that…"

In a flash, Piper's eyes turned malevolent. "Aerrow is _alive, _do you hear me? Hurt, maybe, but alive. So shut up." She slammed the first-aid box on the bedside table and turned her back to Finn. Her shoulders slumped and she took small gasping breaths.

"Piper, don't cry," Stork said.

"Yeah, come on, Piper," Finn agreed. He stood up and his head spun but he took a few steps forward and put a hand on her shoulder. "You know me, I say so many stupid things." Despite his foggy senses, he pushed through: "I'm telling you, Aerrow's fine. That guy can take all sorts of shit and come out standing. And in a few minutes, Junko and Radarr will have this ship up and ready and we'll go look for him! And you'd also made contact with Starling and the Rex Guardians and the Absolute Zeroes and the Third Degree Burners and with their help we'll find Aerrow. Don't worry, Piper." He gasped when the room started going black.

"Just _sit,_" he heard Piper's sharp tone say as she pushed him back to the edge of the bed and forced some electrolytes down his throat. "You've lost too much blood to be prancing around the room, okay?"

"Hmmh…" Finn mumbled, holding his head with his good hand.

"This is going to hurt," Piper told him flatly.

"Wait!" Stork quickly said. "Don't stitch him up without a sedative, that's just evil. Look, go to my room and get my trance helmet."

It was an oddly generous gesture from Stork and Piper nodded. "That's genius," she muttered and ran out of the room. When she returned to the infirmary where Stork and Finn were, she helped the sharpshooter wear the helmet. She watched his sleepy eyes close, a small smile etched to his face.

"It's still going to hurt, though," Stork muttered dryly.

"Yeah, I know," Piper replied as she pushed Finn in a sleeping position. "Can't be helped." She studied his shoulder for a moment, amazed that he'd managed to fight in that condition. (Her stomach plunged when she remembered Aerrow). His skin wasn't just broken, but in parts, burnt. The powers of a crystal. His entire sleeve was dripping blood and the flow still hadn't stopped. Was it some kind of vein or artery that had been cut?

Stork covered his ears and turned away. "You may proceed with the stitches."

* * *

Aerrow didn't own much, but there were two things that belonged only to him. Two things that never failed to make their presence felt. Aerrow had a lot of good luck, and a lot of bad luck.

Fact: Aerrow was young.

It meant that his body could take a battering and make a complete recovery.

But, Aerrow was _young. _He was lean and light and so he was destined to get easily hurt, especially with a fall like this.

When his eyes opened, the stars were out. It was dark and cold and quiet. He was drenched. Completely soaked.

Aerrow was acutely aware of three things: his shirt was torn and the skin on his chest was burnt badly, his left arm was dangling in an odd way and seared in pain, and there was an unpleasantness in his nose and mouth that made him want to sneeze.

Supporting himself with his good hand, he sat up.

The moonlight wasn't very helpful, but he felt damp mud underneath him and the sloshing of water near-by. A river bank. Considering the fact that his clothes were all wet, he realised he must have fallen into the water and washed ashore.

Oh, no wonder he felt like sneezing. He probably had a cold.

Aerrow felt groggy and ill. He didn't know where he was and he didn't know how he was going to get out of here. At that moment, he remembered only snippets of the battle before. He clearly saw the arrow coming to kill them—_them. _Dark Ace! Where was he?

Aerrow looked around wildly, expecting to see a broken figure on the ground. The night didn't permit him much vision, but it _felt _alone. He didn't have much going for him that moment, so it was easier to rely on animal instinct. He just had a gut feeling that Dark Ace wasn't here with him, and so it must be.

How was he going to get out of here?

He wished Stork or Piper were here. Those two were survivors. Stork especially. He knew forests. Stork would be able to tell him what fruits were edible and what weren't, what animals would try and kill him, where danger really lurked. Piper, on the other hand, had different skills. She would know how to find shelter, how to track something, where to find civilization…

Civilization. Bingo.

What was that Piper used to say?

_When you're lost, follow the river. _

A balloon of hope filled in Aerrow. Follow the river. Come tomorrow morning, he was going to find people.

Aerrow lay himself back down on the wet mud and closed his eyes. Sleep wouldn't come, so he listened to the crickets chirp instead.

* * *

Oriole.

He hadn't thought about her for years. So why now?

The image of her, her smell, her taste. It was almost like she was here. Her petite frame, those laughing brown eyes, her white-blonde hair that only reached her shoulders.

Her laugh. So lively, so playful, so free. He loved her laugh so much.

His eyes slowly opened. Oriole disappeared, like a shy bird. He could still hear her laugh, so far, far away…

"_Come on Ace, you slow-coach!" she teased, "Tired already?" Laughter. Her special laughter. "I guess I'm going to win!" And she dashed into the trees again, running past their ancient trunks. She was so quick. _

_Ace gasped for breath in the clearing as he saw her run. He slowly smirked. Then he ran after her. She was fast, but he was tall and took large steps. _

"_And just where do you think you're going?" he questioned, grabbing her wrist. He swirled her towards him. "Come here, pretty girl." He kissed her passionately. She pulled away. _

"_Flattery isn't going to work," she told him. "Don't you know that by now?" She twisted herself free from his grasp. "Catch me if you can, slow-coach!" and she was off into the forest again. _

Dark Ace smiled at the memory. Lovely Oriole.

A soft, sad sigh escaped his lips.

* * *

**A/N: I'm going to repeat my disclaimer from the first chapter. The concept of why Dark Ace betrayed Lightning Strike, and names of other team mates of the original Storm Hawks has been borrowed from a fic called 'Shadow' by a writer called Gyroscope. I take no credit for the name Oriole or the theory of why Dark Ace killed the original Storm Hawks. **

**Thanks for reading. I enjoyed writing this chapter. Please review! :) **


	4. The Knowing Door

**A/N: Mom and I went to the mall today. On the journey there, I was listening to some awesome songs while concocting scenes for this story and I just about exploded with excitement because I came up with **_**SO MUCH! **_**So that's why I've updated this quickly. **

***Jumps around in excitement***

* * *

_Holy shit._

_Ouch—OWWWWW. Come on, you are Dark Ace, greatest Talon Commander of the mighty Terra Cyclonia, and you can DO THIS. _

The pep talk worked. Sort of.

Dark Ace howled in pain as he managed to stand, leaning entirely on a tree trunk for support. The broken rib was trying to kill him, he just knew it. The sprained ankle had been tied up with one of Dark Ace's torn shirt sleeves but it couldn't take any weight. In one hand, he held his sword that was, thankfully, unhurt.

Well, mostly unhurt. The firebolt crystal that powered it had cracked and was useless, but the weapon was still sharp. In one movement, he swung it and chopped off a low-lying branch from the tree that supported him. He propped the branch vertically and held on to it. The Cyclonian smiled a little. He now had a crutch.

Ignoring his aches and pains the best he could, Dark Ace began thinking of a plan. It was safe to assume that Master Cyclonis was looking for him. But he wasn't about to lie around waiting for help like a damsel in distress. This was Terra Ferus. He knew all about it. The place was mostly uncharted and there was no known civilization living here. But there were creatures here, dangerous ones.

There was one thing Dark Ace had to do. To be found by the search parties, they'd need to know where he was, or that he was alive. His skimmer's radio was ruined—just like everything else about it. So he'd have to do this the old way. A smoke signal.

"_If you're going to light a fire to send a signal, don't do it near trees. You'll have a forest fire in minutes." _

"_How do you KNOW so much, Oriole?!" _

"_Well, Ace, there's this thing called logic, but you probably wouldn't know much about that." _

"_Very funny."_

Dark Ace rolled his eyes. "Shut up, Oriole," he said aloud. Why the sudden flashbacks? It had been so long since he'd really thought about them and now Oriole kept flitting in and out of his train of thought. Dark Ace wished she wouldn't.

Heh. Maybe she was trying to tell him something. The irrational part of him hoped it was true.

"_I don't like this terra, Lightning…" she had said. _

"_What is this place, anyway?" Lightning responded. _

"_It's called…yeah, it's called Terra Ferus," Heron replied. He was tall and thin and dark skinned, with intelligent green eyes. He checked his maps again. "I can't say I've heard much about it, Lightning." _

_Trogon looked up at Heron. "I've heard only legends. Some sort of horrible monster lives here." Trogon didn't sound too worried, merely matter-of-fact. But then, he was six feet tall, broad shouldered and muscular. He didn't worry too much. Running a hand through his spiky brown hair, he said, "Look, let's just fix up The Condor and leave. Best not to disturb the general fauna." _

"_I'm with Trogon on this one," Finch muttered. "The canons are all out of ammo. Let's TRY not to make enemies, okay Lightning?" Finch was short, slender, and quick. _

"_Yeah, and we don't want to be stuck here listening to Finch's one-liners for the rest of our lives," Heron muttered. _

_Lightning ignored the comment. Instead, he looked to his best friend and co-pilot. "Ace, what do you think?"_

_Ace shrugged. "The Condor's taken a lot of damage, Light. It might take a while to fix up. Maybe we should check out this place, at least as far as necessities are concerned." _

_Oriole suddenly brightened. "Look at that!" and she pointed to the night sky. "The Pole star!" _

"_Yay," Finch muttered dryly. _

_Oriole rolled her eyes. "It'll help us find our way if we get lost here, stupid." _

_Lightning Strike looked up at the random and infinite number of stars up there. "Okay, Oriole. Since you're the only one who knows what you're talking about, maybe you should go look for water." _

"_Not alone," Ace said quickly. Grasping Oriole's expression from the campfire light, he added, "I know you can take care of yourself—don't give me that lecture again. But it's just not wise to go parading around a strange place all alone at night. There could be wild creatures." _

_Lightning nodded seriously. "Ace is right. No-one's going off alone. And no-one's going at night anyway. We'll wait for tomorrow morning and then Oriole and Trogon can go look for water." _

_Ace shot Lightning a look. _

_Lightning smirked. "You think I'm letting you go with Oriole alone again? Like the last time?" He waggled his eyebrows. "Yeah, right." _

_Everyone but Oriole and Ace laughed. In fact, she buried her head in her hands while Ace turned pink. "Shut up, Light," the co-pilot snapped. _

"Yeah, shut up, Light," Dark Ace muttered aloud again. He'd been here once before, but he hadn't anticipated the nostalgia he'd experience if he crash landed here a second time! Still. He had managed to convince Lightning to go with Oriole and Trogon in the end, and he did know where to find water.

Water. It hit him how damn thirsty he was. And he could eat a whale. It really was strange. Without the flashback, he would never have remembered where to find the river. Maybe Oriole was trying to tell him something.

Dark Ace looked around. It was easier to see now that the sun was up. A flock of birds flew overhead. He sighed, gathering the courage to take a step. This was going to hurt so much…

* * *

The pencil had been sharpened and an eraser was handy. There was a yellowing map on the table, worn from age. It smelled of unexplored books: musty. The chart wasn't particularly detailed. It simply outlined the co-ordinates of Terra Ferus and the general shape of the place as seen from above.

Piper drew with expert precision. She made one line going vertically across the map, and the other going horizontally. The pencil markings divided the terra into four large sectors.

"My idea is," she said, "That we'll divide into groups. Rex Guardians, you take this sector, here—yeah, and Suzy Lu, I want you to handle the southwest. Blister, could you and the Third Degree Burners take this part? Starling and the rest of the Storm Hawks will try this area. We'll go on skimmers and if anyone sees _anything, _let me know."

"That's a pretty big terra, Piper," Starling stated. "One sector should take at least three days. A week, if we want to be thorough."

"We have to be thorough," Piper snapped, "Aerrow could be hurt. And who knows what sort of creatures live there?"

At this moment, Stork swallowed but said nothing. Of course the merb knew. But he wasn't about to make Piper's mood even worse. As it were, Finn, who was in the infirmary, was miserable. Though Junko was trying his best to convince the sniper that it wasn't his fault, Finn remained sullen. Piper's attitude wasn't helping, either. She wasn't exactly blaming him…but she wasn't doing much to try to assure Finn of his innocence.

Though who could blame her? Piper had enough to deal with anyway. Stork wasn't going to be any trouble.

* * *

Master Lark Cyclonis stood before her grandmother's bedroom door. It hadn't been opened for years. She wasn't about to disturb its sleep.

Cyclonis swallowed, then she licked her lips. "Grandmother," she said quietly, "Dark Ace is missing. He's somewhere on Terra Ferus. What do I do, grandmother?"

The door remained silent.

The girl's shoulders slumped. "You would have known what to do."

Lark was about to walk away when she caught herself. "Oh, and I know now why you refused to kill him when you saw him that night. I've learned more from you than you think I have."

The door seemed to look friendlier now.

Cyclonis gave it a warm look before leaving it to rest.

* * *

**A/N: I have nothing to say. I'm just writing an Author's Note because that's how I roll. **

**Oh yeah. Thanks for reading, please review! :P **


	5. Lion, Zebra, Crocodile

**A/N: Let's have a little poll. Question- Do you like to cook? **

** 1) Yes, I love it!**

** 2)I hate cooking and love eating.**

** 3) Never really tried it. **

** 4) I like the idea of cooking, but when I actually try, I get frustrated and panicky and feel like crying. **

**Unless you haven't guessed, I'm number 4. C:**

**Oh, and one more thing. You'll see the name _'Draco quinctus'_ in this chapter. I've intentionally not capitalized the Q. It isn't a typo. **

* * *

A watering hole is the only place where hunter and hunted are equal. It is virtually the only place where there shall be no victim. Unless, of course, there are crocodiles in the water. Oh yes. Crocodiles wait, creeping up upon their prey. The lion and the zebra are both targets, because in this pond, the reptile is the biggest fish.

The metaphorical crocodile waited patiently, watching the lion and the zebra.

* * *

Dark Ace could hear the stream. It was close now. Good. He didn't know if he could go on much longer. Simply moving was tiring because he was essentially hopping on one foot (that didn't do any favours for the broken rib).

He tried to be positive. Once he'd had a long drink of water and perhaps eaten something—maybe if he found some edible roots or berries—life would look much better. Plus, he had a sword. It was possible to kill something and eat it. Though realistically speaking, he wasn't going to be able to set any traps or chase down anything in this condition.

He broke through the last barrier of trees and saw the river. Its blue waters looked fresh. Dark Ace couldn't wait.

With difficulty, he set himself down in a kneeling position and scooped up some of the magic liquid in his hands. It trickled down his arms as it knocked it back into his mouth.

Glorious.

The water was cool and strange tasting—perhaps from all the silt and minerals it carried—and coated his parched throat like a balm. He drank some more. And some more. This was good. This was so good.

Finally he looked up, surveying the land for food.

Well, he didn't find anything to eat, but he did spot his prey.

There was Aerrow, seemingly asleep. He was on the same side of the river as Dark Ace was, hidden in the shadows of a tree. The Cyclonian couldn't believe his eyes.

The boy was horribly bruised and dirty. Most of his shirt was torn, exposing a pink second degree burn mark. His face was also a sickly pink, and one of his arms was bent the wrong way.

Dark Ace grimaced. He knew that Aerrow was out here somewhere, but it never did occur to him that he might run into the brat. However…The Cyclonian narrowed his eyes. This was an easy target. His grip tightened around his sword, and he somehow stood. He wasn't exactly the epitome of stealth right now, but the boy was asleep.

As carefully as he could, he started to close the gap between them.

* * *

The metaphorical crocodile had five forked tongues. It stuck them out now, sensing the air. The lion was on the move. The zebra slept in an uncomfortable rest. Them and their petty wars. Both were injured. This should be easy.

* * *

Dark Ace was almost on top of Aerrow. The Sky Knight was very still.

A rustle in the undergrowth.

The Cyclonian looked up. He saw the predator. His jaw dropped.

"SHIT!"

Involuntarily, he dropped his sword.

* * *

Something very heavy fell on Aerrow's head. The boy woke up with a start. For a moment, he thought he was dreaming.

Dark Ace was right there in front of him. His twin bladed sword was on Aerrow's side—the weapon's hilt had hit Aerrow's head. He only had a moment to register the look on the Cyclonian's face before he saw it.

"What the fuck is that?" Aerrow gasped.

The cobra was the size of a skimmer and had five heads. A five-headed snake. Each head had two venomous fangs. The serpent's body was at least six feet long and very thick. The creature was glossy, the colour of charcoal.

Its heads looked at both of them. Five forked tongues tested the air. It stared at Dark Ace for a moment too long. It had chosen its first victim.

* * *

Aerrow was on his feet and frozen to the spot. But Dark Ace wasn't really concentrating on that.

He stared dead ahead at the snake. It was _Draco quinctus, _and for a moment, he knew he was going to die.

Oriole saved him.

"_DON'T LOOK IT IN THE EYE, TROGON! IT'LL ATTACK YOU!" _

Dark Ace went down on his knees and looked away, breathing slowly, submissively. The serpent hissed, ferocious.

The creature lunged.

For Aerrow.

Then, the snake died.

* * *

There was an awful slicing noise. The snake's five heads fell away from its body. Blood spattered everywhere.

Aerrow gasped for air, looking at what he had done. Dark Ace's sword was covered in the serpent's blood.

Both lion and zebra gazed at each other.

The lion asked, "Did you just behead a _Draco quinctus_?" He sounded breathless, and a little bit awed.

Aerrow didn't respond. He only stared at Dark Ace, disbelieving.

* * *

_French fries, cologne, pen ink, room-freshner, AERROW._

Once Radarr pounced upon his best friend's scent, he didn't stop. The little mammal sniffed desperately. He jumped up on Aerrow's bed and buried himself under the covers. _Aerrow, Aerrow, Aerrow. _The Sky Knight's room was the best place on The Condor. It was even better than the kitchen. Here, Radarr was home.

He whined softly. No, it wasn't home. It wasn't home unless Aerrow was there.

Radarr kept on sniffing, encasing himself in Aerrow's scent.

"Radarr? You here?"

It was Junko's voice. The room door opened. The kindly Wallop entered. It was obvious he had been crying. He still was—he kept sniffling every few seconds. Junko must have spotted the lump under Aerrow's blankets because he came and pulled them away. "There you are," he said. "I've been looking for you." He paused. "What are you doing?" He sounded bewildered.

Radarr was curled up in a ball, sniffing and sniffing the bedsheets. It was unusual behaviour. The mammal chirped softly, as though trying to explain.

Junko understood.

"You miss Aerrow, huh?" he asked gently. He sat down on the bed. "We all do, buddy. But that's why we've got to fix up The Condor. Sitting here, sniffing Aerrow's scent won't help him. Look, come to the bridge. Piper's finalising the plans for the search party. You ought to be a part of it."

Radarr chirped sadly. Junko made a lot of sense, but he didn't want to leave.

The Wallop petted him. "I'll give you a minute. But then you have to come outside and help, okay?" He covered Radarr with the blanket and stepped outside. "We'll find him. You'll see," he said before closing the door.

* * *

What. An. Idiot.

Ravess gave Snipe a condescending look.

In all honesty, Snipe didn't deserve it.

"I thought Master Cyclonis told you to go look for Dark Ace," he muttered.

"So I'm delegating," she said slowly as though he was stupid—which he sort of was. "I told you, you arrange a search party. You look for him. Master Cyclonis doesn't understand. The Storm Hawks are distracted and distraught, and they're lacking an effective leader. This is _the _best time to attack them. And it's a win-win situation, Snipe, I don't see the problem. If you find Dark Ace, Cyclonis will reward you. And she'll reward me for getting rid of the Storm Hawks."

"Or she'll punish both of us for going against her orders."

Ravess glared at Snipe. "She won't. Arrange that goddamn search party, will you?"

As Ravess turned her back on him, Snipe stuck his tongue out at her.

* * *

**A/N: I'm serious. Answer the poll. *Holds you at gunpoint* C: **


	6. Fishy Deals

**A/N: I need some serious critique on this chapter. This first interaction between Dark Ace and Aerrow is critical and I want to know if I've done it right. Thank you! :) **

* * *

Dark Ace asked, "Did you just behead a _Draco quinctus_?" He sounded breathless, and a little bit awed.

Aerrow didn't respond. He only stared at the Cyclonian, disbelieving. The whole thing seemed extremely surreal: crash landing on a strange terra, slaying a weird predator, and now facing Dark Ace, who was looking just as bad as Aerrow felt. The Sky Knight's arm was so painful that it didn't even make sense anymore, and he was sure he was ill with something that was _hopefully _anything but malaria.

Aerrow took a small intake of breath. He had a sword in his hand, and unlike Dark Ace, who was very obviously lame, he could walk. With a sudden surge of adrenaline, he raised the weapon and in a voice gruff and fierce, he roared, "Sit."

Dark Ace raised an eyebrow, almost amused. "Excuse me?"

Aerrow took one step towards the Talon commander, sword at the ready. "I said, _sit._ Now."

* * *

There was something in Aerrow's eyes that gave Dark Ace the chills. They were too desperate, too angry. Those eyes wouldn't be reasoned with. Those eyes would strike out and kill him if he didn't relent.

Slowly, Dark Ace got to his knees, put his entire body weight on one side, and landed with his behind on the ground with a slight jerk. He bit his bottom lip to prevent himself from howling in pain from the broken rib. He was not going to come off as weak. He would not give Aerrow that satisfaction.

"Give me the branch," the Sky Knight barked. "Now."

Dark Ace looked at Aerrow now, studying him. This was a bad situation. By making him sit, Aerrow had made him submissive, open to attack. By taking away the branch, the one he was using as a walking stick, Aerrow was making him helpless. The brat was armed and far more able.

However, Dark Ace saw in Aerrow the same illusion of control that Lightning Strike had possessed. The same high-horse morals, code of conduct and sense of honour. Aerrow was all bark and no bite.

"Give it to me!" the child snarled.

It seemed off-hand, but it was a calculated move. "Here you go," Dark Ace said, chucking the branch to him. "Happy now?"

Aerrow ignored him, touching the branch with his foot.

Dark Ace was gambling with his survival chances. Out of the many ways this could go, he was counting on Aerrow to take the most rational of decisions.

The Sky Knight pressed the blade of the sword at Dark Ace's throat. "Stay," he hissed.

"You think I'm a dog, Aerrow? Telling me to sit and stay?"

Aerrow's lips twitched upwards in a cruel smile. "You make for an obedient mutt, if not an ugly one."

Dark Ace didn't deign to respond to that sentence. The blade was still pressed to his throat, digging into his skin hungrily. The Cyclonian remained calm. Aerrow didn't have the balls.

And he was right.

Aerrow pulled the weapon away and sat on the ground in front of the Cyclonian. He stretched his legs out, put the sword on the grass out of Dark Ace's reach, held the branch between his knees, and with the help of the blade, started to chisel away at the wood.

Dark Ace smirked. The gamble had worked. "Making a harpoon, are you? Smart."

"Shut up."

"Snappy, I see."

"You're in no position to make wisecracks, so I suggest you shut your pie-hole before I shave your behind with your own sword."

"I never knew you were so innovative with your threats. Heh. You'd have done well in Cyclonia."

Aerrow shot Dark Ace a look of pure poison. The Talon commander smirked some more. It was easy to push the boy's buttons.

* * *

Aerrow was scared and confused.

He was scared because he didn't know where he was and he certainly didn't know how to get back home, and he was confused because he didn't know what to do with Dark Ace.

It gave rise to the very primitive reaction of aggression. He was hungry and in pain and the only thing that prevented him from losing his mind was that Dark Ace was hungry too, and probably in more pain than he was.

The branch he was working on was now sharp and pointy. Though it was thick and uneven, it would have to do. The harpoon was ready. Maybe now he could catch some fish.

"Well done, Aerrow, well done," Dark Ace congratulated sarcastically. "I'll have some curried prawns with lemonade, or better, some _really, really, really _strong whiskey. Thanks."

"I will hurt you," Aerrow growled.

"It's impossible to do more damage than this." For emphasis, he pointed at himself.

"I never give up without a try."

"Okay, so can you _try _to get some curried prawns and whiskey, then?"

Frustration suddenly bubbled up in Aerrow and for a second he could have either skewered Dark Ace or burst into tears. He swallowed his rage and despair. It was time to think logically. Being an emotional wreck would get him killed.

"What did you say that snake was?"

* * *

The question took Dark Ace so much by surprise that he blinked. "What?"

"I said," Aerrow said slowly and deliberately, as though Dark Ace was mentally challenged, "What did you say that snake was?" Then, like he was talking to a child, "What was it _called_?"

"_Draco quinctus_ is the scientific name," Dark Ace replied articulately. Reciting from memory, he added, "But people often call it Serpanum."

"_Who people? _I've never even heard of it."

"Yes, well, that's not surprising," was the snide reply. "You have the general knowledge of a cockroach."

Aerrow seemed to be making up his mind. "You obviously are familiar with it. Tell me more."

"Why should I?"

"Because if you don't, I'll hit you."

Dark Ace narrowed his eyes. "I'd like to see you try, boy."

Aerrow's expression turned ugly for a second, and then it went back to the same glassy anger. "If you tell me all you know about Serpanum, I'll hunt you a fish in return."

Once more, Dark Ace was taken by surprise.

Aerrow seemed to notice. He smirked. "Or you can withhold the information and starve to death, because you're not going to be hunting anything in that condition."

It was Dark Ace's turn to use logic. It was a great offer. He would be risking very little and getting something vital in return: food. Food, glorious food.

"And how do I know that after I tell you about Serpanum, you won't just run off with my crutch and sword?"

"You don't."

"That's not good enough, Aerrow."

"Out if the two of us, I'm the one who hasn't betrayed and killed my teammates, so it's my word you'll be trusting."

Maybe it was the nostalgia, maybe it was the flashbacks, but Dark Ace felt his temper flare at the comment. It was below the belt. (Wasn't it?) But he suppressed the feeling. More to calm himself down than anything else, he started to talk.

"Serpana are one of the most venomous snakes in all of Atmos. A single drop of Serpanum venom is enough to kill a fully grown deer. They're territorial and irritable and they mate for life." Dark Ace chuckled slightly. "Speaking of which, you killed a male Serpanum. His mate is somewhere around here; they never stray too far away from each other. Females are bigger and more dangerous than their male counterparts. She's going to come looking for him, and when she realises you've killed him…well, she's going to come after you with a vengeance."

Aerrow looked strangely unconcerned. "How is she going to find out who killed her mate?"

Dark Ace gave him an incredulous look. "You think they're stupid, boy? They have five heads. Each head has a brain that can reason, innovate and nurture. Each head also has a forked tongue, and with that, they have an incredible sense of smell. She's probably _right here, _in the bushes. Her mate found us because he smelled our scents from perhaps miles away. She can now smell his blood—" Dark Ace gestured to the large patches of red liquid on the grass near the dead snake, "—And she's going to come looking. She will track you down wherever you go, Aerrow. You're already a dead man, can't you see?"

The Sky Knight didn't look entirely convinced. Finally, he said, "Well, you've earned your fish, Ugly Obedient Mutt."

With that, he got up, somehow held Dark Ace's sword and crutch-turned-harpoon in only one hand, and disappeared into the forest.

Dark Ace watched him dishonour the deal, and sighed, only mildly surprised.

* * *

**A/N: Hmm. That was interesting to write. How do you think I did? Thanks for reading. Please review! **


	7. Surviving is Dirty Work

**A/N: This is a slightly gory chapter. Brace yourselves. **

* * *

It was funny how the kid was so very different from his father. Lightning Strike would never have done what Aerrow did. Not even to his enemies. He was a loyal bastard.

Dark Ace suddenly chuckled. It was a noise so bitter and cynical it could have frozen the sun. What was wrong with him?

Lightning Strike? Loyal? Yeah, right.

_Concentrate. _

Dark Ace took a breath and gathered his thoughts. Only focus would save him now. The dead Serpanum was starting to really stink, which was a problem. His mate was probably halfway here by now, and she would take her revenge on _him. _After all, smells stick. Dark Ace was sure he reeked of reptile blood.

He filed that away along with the rest of his problems.

Now, to a more practical issue. He had no walking stick, he couldn't get into a standing position without something supporting him _thanks to that damn RIB, _and he had no weapons.

Aside from that, he was also low on energy. He needed food. How else was he going to survive these injuries, this place?

He looked around, taking stock. The Dark Ace had always been astoundingly resourceful. Something would have to come up.

He was at least five meters away from the nearest tree. There were bushes scattered everywhere (whether or not that mattered), and of course, there was the dead five-headed snake.

Wait a minute.

It was a disgusting, dangerous idea. It was almost unthinkable.

Almost.

He had better start, before he came back to his senses.

He crawled pathetically towards the carcass. This was what he was reduced to. Crawling. (Though, there were many ways of looking at it. Right now, to motivate himself, he quickly decided that if he had to do it, then he would. He wasn't going to give up and die.)

After a minute and a half of crawling, his hand clamped down on the snake's tail. It was smooth, thick and heavy. Perfect. He depended on its weight. Excluding the length the heads added to the Serpanum, the body was at least five feet long. This was vital too. In this case at least, size mattered.

With grim resolve, he started to drag the dead weight—(quite literally!) towards the nearest tree. It left a trail of blood. The work was hard, his body protested. He gritted his teeth. _It had to be done. _The crawl took longer this time; Dark Ace didn't even know how he managed it.

The tree stood in its ancient, stately way. The lowest branch was very green, but it was thick enough. This would do.

Dark Ace made a face. This was insane and gross.

With resolve he didn't know he had, he grabbed the serpent's tail and _swung. _

It wasn't an elegant lasso. It was so heavy that it simply dropped back to the earth with a thud. Dark Ace tried again. And again. Blood was flying everywhere.

With a guttural cry, he swung it one last time.

The snake's body finally looped itself over the branch.

Dark Ace made a triumphant noise that could have been a horrified squeal.

Then, he backed into the tree trunk, took both ends of the snake's body in his hands, and pulled it downwards.

And pulled it downwards.

("Arrrghhhhh!")

And pulled it downwards.

("Come on, come on, please, please!")

The branch gave in and broke. It fell to the ground, missing Dark Ace's head by inches. The snake's body tumbled down with it, but that didn't matter any more.

The Cyclonian commander exhaled with a relief so strong that he actually felt it in his lungs. Bloodstained, dirty hands clasped around the branch. It was uneven and full of leaves. He loved it.

His new crutch wasn't perfect, but it was the next best thing.

* * *

A conscience is an interfering, foolish thing that wants you dead. It will not shut up unless you submit to it or suffocate it. At the moment, Aerrow was trying and failing to do the latter.

It wasn't the Storm Hawks' way to go back on a deal. And the Dark Ace had honoured his end of the bargain.

_He's a stupid Talon and he'll backstab me the second he can. Just like he killed my father._ Aerrow repeated this again and again like a penance.

Of course, Aerrow being Aerrow, it didn't work.

He groaned in exasperation.

Then he turned around, and went right back to the river.

Only, the Dark Ace wasn't there. In his place was a trail of blood and a dead snake's body by a tree.

Then, from behind him, something hissed loudly.

* * *

**A/N: I apologize for the fact that not only was this update late, it was also short. It was gory though, wasn't it? Not something I usually write, but eh. It had to be done.**

**In other news, I really feel like a **_**writer **_**now. I got my first rejection letter from a publisher. I'm not too disappointed though. If anything, I'm only more motivated! **

**Oh yes, and one more thing: lemon tarts are delicious. **

**That is all. Now go ahead and review! :D Thanks for reading! **


	8. Garuda Awakens

**A/N: *Re-reads chapter and slowly starts to cry* **

* * *

_Trespassers. _His body language changed from lazy to protective in a second. She curled around the large egg in their nest, before hissing.

_Let me go, _she communicated. _I smell them too. _

He did not like the idea. _Stay here. Protect the child. I will go get you some dinner. _His ten eyes looked at her for a moment. Finally, he communicated, _I won't be long. _

She touched his tail with hers. _I will be waiting. _

And she did wait. Until the sun moved from overhead to a slanting position. Her shadow elongated against the thicket of trees. Much time had passed. He hadn't returned. She was hungry, so very hungry.

Her ten eyes went to the egg. Her world, like his, was a flurry of colour. Serpents didn't see figures, shapes, descriptions like others. Their eyes were simply heat-sensors, and she made out the egg's bright red glow. It told her that her infant was warm, safe, healthy.

He still didn't come. Five forked tongues tested the air again. The scent of blood was stronger now, as was the aroma of rotting meat. She experienced suspicion. He was a swift hunter. It didn't take him so long.

She licked the air again. Then, she nuzzled the egg close, covered it with as much foliage as she could, and set off into the forest.

His scent trail led her to a riverbank. She saw his carcass glowing a faint blue as the heat left him. His heads had been separated from his body, the latter dragged away from him. She could smell his molding flesh so strongly now that it made her angry.

There was a creature of four limbs, standing with its back to her. It was raging hot; its entire body was an ill, fiery red. One of its forelimbs was badly broken. In its other forelimb, it had both a branch and something that was coated in her mate's blood. It looked sharp. But it couldn't be sharper than her fangs.

Her tail curled angrily. This creature had left her child without a male parent. Now how would the infant survive?

_EVIL PREDATOR! _She hissed at it.

It slowly turned and saw her. She could smell his fear.

* * *

The female Serpanum was bigger than her mate. Her heads almost reached Aerrow's chin. She was longer, wider. Five pairs of fangs dripped with venom.

Aerrow stared, aghast.

* * *

Hurt, hunger, pain, fear, weakness and relief.

A combination of these can make even the best of us slightly distracted.

Dark Ace was no exception.

_He was a street kid. The sort that had no idea where he'd come from and no clue where he was going. But Ace didn't care for the past, or the future. Only the Now mattered. And now, right now, he was spray-painting expletives on the display window of a cake shop._

_The sun was barely up and everything was closed. There would be no witnesses to this act of vandalism, which was fine by him. The road was deserted, except for a few stray cats. A streetlight flickered for a few seconds before stabilizing again. The cobbled footpath was littered and dusty. The houses were all rundown and derelict. _

_This was a poor neighbourhood. _

_Ace suddenly stopped. He'd heard something. He looked around, his eyes falling on a few large, overflowing dustbins near-by. Nothing moved. Maybe it was just another cat. He turned back to the display window, happily adding more words to the glass dictionary he was writing. _

_Then a window flew open on one of the apartments opposite the bakery. "Hey! What are you doing to my shop?!" _

_Ace dropped the spray paint can. He merely glanced up at the open window, registering a middle-aged man with three day old stubble. His instinct told him to run, but his mind was frozen stiff. _

_Then something shot out of the dustbins, grabbed his hand, and screamed, "Come on!" The boy almost knocked Ace off his feet as he dragged him down the road. _

_From behind, their pursuer ranted abuses that weren't half as bad as the ones Ace had spray-painted. But, did that matter? The boys were mince-meat. Easy targets. _

"_Where are we going?" Ace shouted as his body caught up with the situation. _

"_Follow me!" _

_And so Ace did. (For many, many years). _

_His ally pulled him to a street corner and into the shadows. They leaned against the wall, breathless. Minutes passed. "I think we're safe," the other boy said, slightly wheezy. _

_Ace finally took a good look at him. He was of medium-built, with oddly impish features. His hair was such strange shade of red that it looked almost orange. He had mischievous green eyes. But Ace was more taken aback by his clothing: a simple pair of jeans and a shirt, but they were much cleaner than his own, and looked fancy. He thought he could make out a logo of a big brand on the shirt's front pocket. _

_This was no street kid. Hell, he didn't even talk like one. _

"_What's your name?" Ace asked. _

_A little too quickly, the boy replied, "Lightning Strike." _

_Ace raised an eyebrow. "What's your real name?" _

"_Lightning Strike, I swear." The boy looked uncertain. Then, with fading resolve, he muttered, "I'll tell you if you promise not to laugh." _

"_Whatever." _

_Lightning Strike told him, and naturally, Ace laughed. _

"_You promised!" the Not-From-The-Street kid whined. _

_Ace wiped away tears of mirth. "I see why you changed your name, man. I'm Ace." _

_And then, they got talking. _(Dark Ace couldn't remember the details of the conversation). _Lightning Strike was the only son of a wealthy businessman. His father traveled a lot, his mother was currently spending the weekend with her boyfriend—the one her husband didn't really know about. After a fight with his strict, 'Evil' nanny, he crept out of the window and ran off into the night and got lost. _

"_Do you know how to get to Bellona Street?" _

"_You mean the place where people drink from gold goblets? Sure, it's at the other end of the rainbow." _

"_Ace, I'm serious." _

"_Fine. Come on, I'll take you there. I guess I owe you that much." _

_Lightning Strike looked like he'd been given the largest piece of cake. _

"Fuck, get out of my HEAD!" Dark Ace roared. It was a sound of rage, anguish and physical pain. He stopped and proceeded to bang his head against the trunk of a tree. "Get out, get out, get OUT! NOW!"

A couple of squirrels scampered down the tree and ran away.

Ace hit his head some more.

* * *

She wasn't The Keeper of the forest, but she knew it was being disturbed. She could hear it, she could smell it. From right behind her, she could smell the trail of her mate's blood. She debated. The creature with only one functioning forelimb brandished whatever sharp weapon it had.

But the one who disturbed the trees—the one whose scent trail left such a strong smell of her mate—was in the opposite direction.

She stuck out her forked tongues.

But then she made the rational decision. The Keeper would silence the one who disturbed the trees.

She had her victim before her eyes.

So she lunged at his feet, but he moved.

Never mind. They had all the time in the world.

* * *

Aerrow backed away as fast as he could. The female Serpanum was overwhelming. She lunged again. He swung the sword, but missed. HOW COULD HE MISS?

Terror gripped him, it made him panic.

They say panic could kill.

* * *

The Keeper of the forest slept restlessly. She hadn't had a decent meal since last week's Seekoei, and even that ton of meat didn't satiate her for long. Her eyes opened slowly. From her perch, she could see the entire terra. Her eyesight was excellent. To the west, a herd of Velts grazed quietly. The depths of the river housed the dangerous Noracs—those were always good when she was in the mood to play. Many Serpana nests dotted the area (but Serpana never tasted good).

The Seekoei herd was at the other end of the terra.

A short flight of ten minutes, but it was worth it for her favourite meal.

She yawned, shaking the last of the sleep from her eyes. A screech escaped her yellow beak.

* * *

Aerrow was about to die. The Serpanum had chosen slow torture instead of a quick, venomous bite. She had coiled around him. She was going to crush him to death.

Then, both of them heard the screech.

The serpent hissed in alarm. Her body uncoiled from around him, and she slithered into the undergrowth.

* * *

Dark Ace heard the screech too. He groaned.

He'd almost forgotten about Garuda.

The Cyclonian seethed as he took cover. Terra Ferus hated him.

* * *

**A/N: I am SO SORRY for this awful chapter. I have writer's block. Some people say that writer's block is an excuse that lazy people hide behind, and I want to shoot the people who say that. I'm telling you, once I get through this difficult, difficult part where I can't for the life of me figure out how Ace and Aerrow decide to work together, it'll pick up. I promise. **

**Meanwhile, I need to stop coming up with scary predators. *Hides face*. You may now leave me to wallow in self-pity. Thank you for reading. I don't mind if you flame this chapter as well. **


	9. Crystal Met and Bad Coffee

**A/N: I've had an interesting day. Woke up to nightmares, got my Year 12 final exam results and surprised myself with my own marks. Then, had a panic attack over the complicated online admission process for colleges and decided, "Fuck it, I'm going to go on Fanfiction for a while!" **

**So here I am! **

**And you awesome people will be interested to know that I've gotten over the writer's block! It's funny what a sleepless night can do, you know? **

* * *

_The day was bright, but the sky was still littered with clouds. Not, of course, like Ace was paying any attention to these trivial details. He was simply leaning against his second-hand skimmer, trying not to concentrate on that THUD-THUD-THUD going on in his chest._

"_Dude, this coffee sucks," Lightning muttered as he emptied the Styrofoam cup into a dustbin. "I don't know what the hell you're on about." They were nineteen now. Lots of things had changed. Ace had a job as a delivery boy to a local take-out restaurant. Lightning spent his days bartending and arguing with his father. Both of them lived in rented apartments in poor neighbourhoods. Both of them loved it. _

"_The coffee here is great, okay?" Ace snapped, not really looking at his friend. To add emphasis, he took in a long sip from his cup, forced down a gagging reflex, and swallowed. "Delicious." _

"_You're mad." _

"_Fuck off." _

"_Whoa, someone's edgy. I wonder why." Light's voice was filled with such smooth amusement that Ace managed to tear his eyes away from the pristine white university building and glare at his friend. _

"_What?" he snapped. _

_Light shrugged. "Nothing, nothing." Feigning nonchalance, he unrolled a newspaper and glanced at the headlines. He'd already read the front page article thrice, and he could probably recite it backwards. Ace threw a casual glance at the lead story, registering the words 'GENERAL CROW CONQUERS BLIZARIS'. Then he looked away, back at the university. _

_They were standing right outside it, leaning against their skimmers. Ace had parked his awkwardly, blocking the path of the switchblade right next to his. They were drinking coffee from a street vendor's stall, while Ace looked at the magnificent domed building and the people in its campus. _

_Lightning rolled his eyes. "Why are we here, again?" _

"_To look at the architecture," Ace promptly replied. _

_Lightning Strike raised an eyebrow and stared blankly at the university. Then, something dawned on him. "Oh yes. Gorgeous domes. I—I mean, curves." _

"_Wha—huh?" Ace looked frowned at the strange response from his friend. But then, he stopped caring. _

_She was there. _

_The girl had a petite frame, and short white-blonde hair that always had tiny braids on them held together by small pink bows. She had lively brown eyes. She laughed now; it was a sound that carried. _

_Goddammit, that laugh! It was so fucking beautiful it made his head spin. _

_THUD-THUD-THUD. _

_Ace took several deep breaths, trying to bring his heartbeat under control. Lightning Strike was smirking. "She's pretty."_

"_Eh, she's okay," he replied. _

"_I see why you come out here every day at four in the afternoon."_

"_You make me sound like a stalker."_

"_You sort of are."_

"_I like the coffee." _

"_So what's what they call hot chicks now, eh?"_

"_Will you just shut up!"_

"_You're blushing."_

"_I am NOT." _

"_Do you even have a game plan? Or are you just going to sit here staring at her for the rest of your life? Dude, close your mouth, you look weird." _

_Ace glared at Lightning. _

"_You don't have a game plan, do you?" The red-haired man rolled his eyes. _

_Ace didn't answer. _

_The girl had now bid goodbye to those giggling friends of hers, and was walking right towards them. She looked slightly annoyed. _

_THUD-THUD-THUD. _

_She was right in front of them now. _

"_Excuse me," she told Ace, her voice composed but determined, "Would you please move your skimmer? You're blocking mine." _

_Ace looked alarmed. "I am? Oh man. I'm so sorry, there just isn't any parking space. Here, I'll move it right now." He pulled out the keys from his pocket and started the engine. _

"_Thanks," the girl replied. Then, noticing the coffee they were drinking, she made a face. "Don't eat from that place."_

"_Why's that?" Lightning asked her. _

"_Let's just say, some make it hot, some make it cold, some serve it from a pot, nine days old." _

"_Ew," Ace responded and then laughed. He moved his skimmer aside. Then, as though he was seeing her vehicle for the first time, asked her, "Whoa, is that an Omega-6 Ultrabike?!" _

_The girl nodded. "It is." _

"_That's amazing. They have the most powerful engine of any consumer skimmers in the market."_

"_If you say so. I don't really know much about mechanics. I just got this as a birthday present." _

_Ace whistled. "Some present." _

"_Yeah." The girl sat on her skimmer. "Thanks." She reversed and was about to drive off, when—_

"_Hey, wait, listen!" Ace called. _

_She turned her head. "Yeah?" _

"_You go to the university, right? Um, do you know if they're looking for new students? Or if they have any…uh…scholarships or something…or…some sort of financial aid?" _

_Her eyes softened. "I don't know. But I can ask."_

"_Really? That's really nice of you, but don't bother with the trouble!"_

"_It's no trouble. Besides, education is important. What course are you interested in…?"_

"_Uh…um…"_

"_Fine. Figure it out, and I'll ask them about financial aid. What's your name?"_

"_Ace." _

"_I'm Oriole. Will you be here tomorrow? Cause then I'll tell you what they tell me."_

"_I'll be here."_

"_Okay."_

"_Thanks, Oriole." _

"_No problem!" She waved at both of them. "See you tomorrow!" Oriole revved the engine, and she was gone. _

_It was like the conversation had never happened. _

_Apart from the fact that Ace fist-bumped the air. _

_Lightning shook his head. "You parked your skimmer like that on purpose, didn't you? Lying bastard. That's your game plan? Tell her some cock-and-bull about financial aid?" _

"_Yep." _

"_Okay. Remind me to carry a camera next time so I can take a picture of you getting slapped in the face." _

* * *

_If there was one thing Ace knew, it was that Oriole was different. She wasn't the kind of girl he would take to bed for just one night. She wasn't the sort of woman whose name he would struggle to remember come daybreak. This one was not like the others Ace was normally attracted to._

_If he knew anything for a fact, it was this: Oriole would have to be wooed. The only thing that would make her like him was his personality. If he tried to get her drunk, she would empty the glass on his head. _

_The thought made him giddy. Yes. Oriole was special. _

_The next day, he was there, waiting for her to come. Her class ended ten minutes late and when she walked up to him, there was a college prospectus in her hand. "No financial aid, Ace," she replied, shaking her head sadly. "I'm so sorry." _

"_Oh…that blows." _

"_But," Oriole waved the prospectus in his face. "According to this, they offer a little-known tutoring service. Basically, students can tutor people who want to learn but can't afford it. I don't know anyone who actually does it, though. Maybe I should ask around some more." _

"_Oh. Nah, don't. You've done enough already. Thanks a ton." _

_She smiled at him, but her expression turned dark and she looked away. "Stupid Cyclonia. You know it's because of all the war expenses that the price of everything else has gone up? Students are dropping out just because they can't afford it. It's not right. One of my friends had to quit studying because she couldn't pay the fees and now she works in a diner and barely breaks even! She wanted to be a scientist, do you know that? A scientist! Now she serves fries and coleslaw and works under some asshole who keeps staring at her breasts!" Oriole's voice was so loud and angry now that people were starting to stare. _

"_Whoa," Ace commented, "You really feel strongly about this, don't you?" Then, he glanced at Lightning. "Oriole, this is Lightning Strike. You guys should meet up and rant about it sometime." _

_Oriole calmed down just a bit. "Your name is Lightning Strike?"_

_Light rolled his eyes. "Yes." _

"_No," Ace countered. "But if he told you his real name, he'd have to kill you." _

_Oriole giggled. "Oh." _

_Lightning ignored Ace. "But it's true what you said, Oriole. Did you read the papers today? They're reducing subsidies on medicine in Atmosia to supply The Red Eagles with new weapons!"_

"_That's just disgusting," Oriole fumed. _

_Ace decided it was time to intervene. "Guys, come on. What else would they do? Let Cyclonia take over Atmosia? What do you think would happen to the people then? General Crow's already taken over most of Eastern Atmos. Atmosia is the fortress we can't afford to lose. Besides, they're sending half their grain to Saharr because the crop failed there and Saharr already has too many problems. What with Crow having his sights on that little dust flat, they can't really survive the famine without help. The terras HAVE to arm their Sky Knights or Cyclonia will just blow us over." _

_Oriole crossed her arms across her chest. "Still doesn't mean I have to like it." But then, she shook her head. "So do you study, Lightning?" _

"_Me? Nah." _

"_Why? Financial aid?" Then she quickly added, "Sorry, you don't have to answer that…I was just curious. It sounded rude." _

_Lightning grinned. "No, no, it's okay. I don't want to out of choice." _

"_Yep," Ace added. "Light, here, had options."_

"_Not really," Lightning muttered. "My father wanted me to study business, like him, but I didn't want to. And then, well, the economy collapsed, which was an excellent excuse to not study business. And frankly, I didn't want to study. I've always hated it." _

"_Oh, so you're working?" _

"_Yep. I'm a bartender-and my father hates it, which is great. Ace and I are thinking of applying for the Sky Knight Academy in Atmosia."_

"_Oh, yeah. It's the only education that comes cheap these days, huh?"_

"_That of course," Ace replied, "But we also want to beat up Cyclonians." _

_Oriole smiled sarcastically at them. "Noble." _

"_Yep, we know," Ace grinned. "So, what do you study?" _

_Promptly, Oriole replied, "Crystal Met." _

_There was a moment's silence. _

"_Crystal meth?" Lightning asked. "No wonder you like to study." _

_Oriole burst out laughing. "I forgot how that sounds to anyone outside my class! Crystal Met is short for Crystalometry. It's the study of crystal reactions." _

"_Isn't that Crystology?" Ace asked. He'd managed not to laugh at the Crystal Met comment. He figured that maturity was attractive to her. _

"_No. Crystology is the study of crystal origins. It's a branch of geology. Crystalometry is a kind of chemistry. Crystologists will tell you how a crystal came to be, Crystalometricians will tell you what, why and how a crystal will react the way it does."_

"_I see," Ace replied, his voice intelligent. _

"_Do you really?" _

"_Nope."_

"_Thought so." She gave him a look of amusement. "I better get going."_

"_Alright. Bye!" Lightning said.  
_

"_See you, Light. Bye, Ace." _

"_Yeah, bye." _

* * *

_It was on the third day when Ace's lies fell apart. He was there, waiting for her. And well, things came to a head._

_She marched up to him, looking furious. "Where's your friend with the funny name? Not here today, right? Probably working or something. Why aren't YOU working, Ace? What are you doing here?"_

_He was taken aback. "I…uh…the coffee—"_

"_Oh save it," she snapped. "My friends have been telling me some interesting things about you, Ace."_

"_Uh…"_

"_Apparently, you've been coming here every day for a month and a half now. You wait until I've come out of the campus and you wait until I leave for home before you even make a move. They tell me you stare at me all the time. Are you stalking me?" _

_THUD-THUD-THUD. _

"_Okay, okay, I'm an idiot but I'm not stalking you. Not in a creepy way. Not in any way. I just—you just—I…"_

"_What? Quit mumbling!" _

"_I'm just really attracted to you! You're gorgeous. And for a month and a half I've been trying to work up the courage to talk to you. I'm not a weirdo, I promise." _

_Oriole didn't look impressed. Ace continued anyway. _

"_You're probably going to say no, but I'm going to ask you anyway. You think we could go grab a coffee or something? Not this crappy stuff but like at a café? I'm not a freak, I promise!" _

_Oriole's expression did not waver. "You promise a lot of stuff. How do I know it's true? What do I actually know about you? Eh?" _

_Ace groaned and buried his head in his hands. "I'll tell you, I'll tell you! I was a dustbin baby. Someone found me in a trashcan and took me to a hospital and I've been raised in orphanages. I've run away more times than I can remember. I…I hate broccoli, my poison of choice is whiskey; I like it neat, no frills. I work at Nat's Place, which is the WORST take-out restaurant ever. But I just deliver food. My landlord is my boss, so my apartment is over the restaurant. I've wanted to be a Sky Knight since as long as I can remember. I don't actually want to study at the university, I just said that so I could start talking to you—you must hate me now—the fact is, the most education I've ever had is only up till fifth grade. I simply stopped going to school after that. Oh, um, and I'm allergic to peanuts." His eyes looked at hers, sad, pleading. Then, furthermore, he added, "And I'm really, really sorry that I spooked you. I didn't mean to. I've just never been so attracted to anyone ever before." _

_Oriole's glare softened but didn't go away completely. "There's a café around the corner. I'm paying." _

* * *

When Dark Ace opened his eyes next, it was night, and there was a figure sitting opposite him.

* * *

**A/N: PHEW. Long chapter. What did you think? Do you like the flashbacks? Do you think Oriole is a Sue? (Because I'm worried that she *seems* like one, even though…she turns out not to be. *Evil Laughter*) If you had to choose between the flashbacks or the normal prose, what would you pick?**

**Do answer these questions. *Cough* REVIEW! *Cough***


	10. Acts of Friendship and Betrayal

**A/N: Ah, man. It's such a beautiful morning. The dogs are asleep and aren't bugging the crap out of me, the coffee is hot, the weather is pleasant and cool…and guess what? We're already on chapter ten! **

**Not to mention my plot bunny for my novel has finally awoken after a long hibernation. So let's begin! **

* * *

It's actually quite terrifying in a jungle at night. The darkness is so unimaginably suffocating that your lungs feel like dying. The tiniest sound becomes an explosive roar, and really, when you can't see a thing in front of you, silence and pure animal instinct are your only allies.

Right then, the living thing that he couldn't see was very close to him, breathing softly. Dark Ace felt a chill down his back. He tried to sit up—but the leaves rustled beneath him. He closed his eyes tightly and bit his bottom lip.

"So you're finally awake, then."

Aerrow spoke softly.

"You?" Dark Ace hissed.

Aerrow's hands flailed blindly before managing to find his shoulder. Using that as a guide, he said, "Here's the fish I promised," and tossed it to him. It slapped Dark Ace in the nose before falling to his lap. "I cooked it the best I could. Had to put out the fire because it was attracting too much attention."

The Cyclonian didn't know what to say. He was exhausted. He wasn't in the mood to play Tough Guy. His unintentional nap had helped ease some of his pain—at least for now—but it couldn't get rid of the tiredness behind his eyes. He didn't feel like being an arrogant jerk at the moment, but he wasn't about to show any gratitude either. Finally, he decided on a neutral answer.

"How long have you been sitting here?"

"Ages. Since late afternoon, I think. You were out cold."

It was awkward. Trying to have a normal conversation with Lightning Strike's son was the weirdest thing. He didn't want Aerrow here. He didn't want the brat to see him so weak. But a part of him knew that he wasn't going to be able to survive unless he swallowed his pride. And more than anything in the world, Dark Ace was a survivor.

He felt himself going into another flashback. No. It had to be stopped. His overtired brain was taking too much liberty and it wasn't helping the slightest. In a desperate attempt to gain control over his mind, Dark Ace sat up. The sudden movement triggered a flood of agony in his chest. _Oh my god, _he thought as he clutched the wounded area. A groan escaped his lips before he could stop it.

He would have passed out again, if it weren't for Aerrow.

"Take it easy. I need you alive." With that, the Sky Knight gently pushed the Cyclonian back into a sleeping position.

Dark Ace's eyes widened at the heat coming from Aerrow's skin. This boy was ill.

The Cyclonian said nothing, assessing the situation. The smell of fish roasted over a flame was really bothering him. Apart from the occasional prawns, he'd never been much of a fish-eater, choosing to consume it only when there was nothing else. He hadn't eaten anything since…how long had it been? One and a half days? Yes, probably.

The darkness was almost cushioning him back into unconsciousness. No, no, NO.

Like the commander and general that he was, Dark Ace barked, "Aerrow, light a fire. Now."

Aerrow, the Alpha male of the Storm Hawks, countered him. "We'll attract all sorts of unwanted attention."

"Animals tend to avoid fire."

It was the pure confidence in Dark Ace's broken voice that convinced Aerrow. The Sky Knight picked up the two dry stones he'd used to make the flame the last time, and began to rub them against each other.

Meanwhile, Dark Ace slowly started to push himself up. He needed his head to be off the ground if he wanted to think straight. Leaning against the tree behind him, he started to sit up for the third time. Aerrow didn't stop him (after all, why would he?), and with several grunts of pain, the Cyclonian managed it.

Ten minutes later, a small, resilient flame was burning.

Dark Ace took a good look at Aerrow's face. He couldn't tell from the poor lighting, but he looked very grey.

"You should eat," Aerrow reminded, his voice deadpan and devoid of emotion.

"It's not poisoned, is it?"

"I wouldn't poison you just yet. I need you."

The Cyclonian gazed at his worst enemy for a moment, and then he wolfed down the fish. It tasted disgusting. Not only did it lack flavour, but it was also somewhat uncooked. Aerrow hadn't done a good job. The only thing Dark Ace hoped was that it hadn't gone bad. Now that, that would just suck.

The pathetic, semi-cooked morsel made a huge difference in Dark Ace's mood. The fire seemed to burn brighter, the pain seemed to go away…Aerrow still looked grey as ever.

"You've been here before, haven't you? How long were you here the last time?"

Almost reluctantly, the other man replied. "The last time I came here, I was stranded for two months."

"Why is this place so...so fucking crazy? What's up with the giant bird and the five headed cobras?"

Dark Ace heard himself chuckle. "Terra Ferus, Aerrow. Literally, _Terra Fierce._" He let the comment hang there for dramatic effect before adding, "It's where the worst of the worst predators live. It's believed that the Leviathan was born here."

"The Leviathan…?" Aerrow though back to the time Radarr was swallowed by the enormous beast. "What about the bird?"

"Garuda." There was respectful amusement in his voice when he said it. "The Garuda."

"Tell me about it?"

"I will not."

Aerrow sighed in a defeated manner. "I guess I had that coming."

"Yes, you did. After the last time, you can promise me an entire suckling pig and I'm not going to tell you a word."

"Fair enough. But you know as well as I do that neither of us stands a chance unless we can work together."

Dark Ace almost appreciated Aerrow's directness. He hated it when people played games with their words.

"I'd rather be Serpanum food."

"I'd rather be Serpanum food too," Aerrow agreed. "But neither of us is going to lie down and wait for death either. So it's just smarter to help each other."

"Oh yes, like when you took away my crutch and weapon and left me waiting for a five headed snake."

"I came back!" Aerrow snapped. "You weren't there. You'd made a gory mess of the place but you weren't there. And I found you and I honoured my end of the deal, so shut up."

Deep down, Dark Ace knew it would come down to this. The fact was that Aerrow was right. The boy had the physical strength that the Cyclonian currently lacked, and Dark Ace had the information and experience that Aerrow depended on. It was almost perfect.

Oh fuck, not another one of those flashbacks.

"_Thanks for helping me out during that last battle, Light," Ace said casually. _

_Lightning smiled. "Don't be ridiculous. I'll always help you out when you need it." _

Dark Ace swallowed. He looked at the boy opposite him. The spitting image of Lightning Strike. "Is this you, helping me out when I need it?" The words were spoken very, very softly, for only his own ears.

Aerrow looked at him. "Did you say something?"

"No." Then, "We'll have to have a plan of action."

Aerrow's eyes widened. But then his expression settled to neutrality again. "Alright, fine. But before we do anything, you're going to have to fix my arm."

He didn't know what he was doing any more. Never help the enemy and all that shit. Despite himself, Dark Ace nodded. "Tomorrow."

"Okay."

"I'll take the first watch."

Aerrow's eyes turned to slits. It was impossible to not be suspicious. With calculated slowness, he said, "Alright. Do that."

This night was going to be a long one.

* * *

Snipe had made up his mind. So when Ravess asked him if he'd sent out search parties to look for Dark Ace, he answered in the affirmative. She had smiled in pride. "Just you wait," she had said, "Both of us will be rewarded excellently."

"I can't wait," he had said, his enthusiasm genuine. Who said Snipe was stupid? He had found the easiest way to eliminate all competition and become the favourite Talon commander.

So as he gorged on the table full of food that night, he marveled at his genius. It was so simple. He wasn't going to look for Dark Ace. Ravess was disobeying orders by making a special force to take out the Storm Hawks, instead of searching for the missing Cyclonian general. Essentially, Dark Ace was on his own. He would die that way. Ravess would get punished for her misbehavior, and Snipe would be in the clear.

Check mate.

* * *

**A/N: Finally, I've done it! I've been struggling over this stupid scene for FAR too long. Thanks for reading. Leave a review! **


	11. Ailment

**A/N: Three days have passed since I legally became an adult. How do I celebrate? Why, by updating a chapter for a story based on a children's TV show, of course! :D**

* * *

Aerrow felt hot. Like, when you hide under a thick blanket during a summer afternoon and all but drown in your sweat sort of hot. It was uncomfortable. He was painfully aware of every little indentation, pebble, patch of grass and soft forest sponge that was squished under him. The Sky Knight could barely keep the nausea at bay. He kept swallowing, taking deep breaths, anything to stop him from barfing. Though, maybe he wouldn't be able to vomit even if he wanted to. There was nothing in his stomach for him to reject.

He was also starting to feel dizzy. Head rushes. His temples were throbbing, _pounding, _in fact. It was like his brain was going to implode.

Not to mention that arm.

Fuck. It was so bad. It was bad enough to get him to ignore the pain of that burn mark on his chest. It was the feeling of stones rubbing against his nerves. All he wanted to do was break down and SCREAM because the agony was just too much.

There was a breeze. Aerrow inwardly moaned in pain as he shifted his body to lie in a more comfortable position. The small fire he'd somehow made with only one good hand (he didn't even know it was possible), was almost dead. He could feel Dark Ace's presence leaning against a tree trunk. By the stillness in the air, he guessed that the Cyclonian was asleep.

Heh. Some lookout.

Just then, Dark Ace sighed. He thought he heard the enemy mumble something, but Aerrow couldn't be sure. All the Sky Knight knew was, there would be no sleep tonight.

* * *

Dark Ace was searching his memories. It shouldn't have been that hard, considering that stress-and-nostalgia infused flashbacks had been plaguing him for ages now, but to find this specific set of information, he knew he would have to work hard. When it came to botany, he wasn't really a details kind of guy.

Hmmm. Well, he could remember a smell. It was hard to get that out of his head. It was like petrol and rotting meat, and man, the Condor would stink for hours. From what Finch had claimed, it didn't taste particularly delicious either. At one point, Trogon had to hold him down while Lightning tipped the liquid into his throat.

Despite himself, Dark Ace smiled.

"_No, no, NO. No more. You…can't…make me!" he struggled, fighting Trogon's iron grip. Even Finch's ebony coloured skin looked a shade paler than usual, at least to Ace. Without his sunglasses, his face looked sort of empty. Hazel hued eyes were red with sickness, and everyone had noticed how much weight he had lost. Finch was already quite thin, and it had gotten to the point where if you looked carefully, you could count a few ribs through his shirt. _

_In spite of all that, he somehow found the fuel to make Trogon, of all people, fight to hold him down. "Will you just shut up?" the larger man snapped. Ace could tell from the look in his eyes that he was actually worried he might end up hurting Finch, whose limbs had become bony and brittle. _

"_I'm FINE," Finch argued. "Seriously!" He wasn't the type to resist medication just to be a hero. The very fact that he was struggling so much against the idea of taking the medicine meant that it really must have tasted awful. Either that, or the illness was starting to affect his brain functions and thereby his behavior._

_Ace frowned and exhaled irritably. No way. Finch would be fine. No way was the fever claiming his mind too. _

_Oriole was pouring an evil looking liquid in a cup while Heron cleaned the desk that the only female Storm Hawk was working at. _

_Ace approached her and spoke quietly. "It's been two weeks, Ori. Why isn't this medicine taking effect?" _

_She squeezed his palm. "It is, sweetheart." She knew how worried Ace was. He hadn't been sleeping properly. "His fever has significantly reduced. Remember, it was 105 degrees two days ago?"_

"_Oh, I remember," Ace replied bitterly. Of course he did. He'd been the one sitting there wiping Finch's forehead with wet rags. _

"_Yes, and now it's only a 100. It's progress." _

"_He's become a skeleton." _

"_We'll simply have to fatten him up." With an encouraging smile, she said, "Why don't you get started on dinner? Something Finch would like?" _

"_Something Finch would like? I don't know if I can find the ingredients on this pathetic terra to make deep fried chocolate bars, but I'll try." _

_Still, Ace hung around for five more minutes. He watched as Finch struggled and fought._

_Lightning marched into the room. He had that expression. The Don't Mess With Me look. He merely glanced at Finch before looking at Oriole. _

"_Ori?" he questioned. _

"_Here you go," she replied, pushing the cup with the medicine to Lightning. Her eyes fell on his tight scowl. "Lightning, be nice." _

_He ignored her. Taking the cup, he marched up to Finch. They acted like a team, Trogon holding Finch's arms, Lightning shoving the liquid down his throat. _

_The sniper coughed. "I'm going to hurl, I'm going to hu—" _

_Heron was quick with the water. Finch drank deeply. His skin darkened just a little bit more as some colour returned to it. Ace sighed in relief. _

"_Get. Some. Sleep," Heron ordered, his expression like a nightmare. _

"_I still feel queasy," Finch groaned. _

"_Sleep it off." Lightning Strike gently pushed the sharpshooter back against the pillows. In almost a fatherly manner, he ran a hand through his teammate's hair. Ace noticed the worry-lines on his best friend. Everyone was a bit scared. Oriole actually had a panic attack when Finch had collapsed that first time. _

_Next to him, Oriole muttered, "I don't understand why Healer Crystals won't work on it." _

_Heron answered. "Some diseases are like that. They're born with the land and they die with the land. We're doing the right thing. Only native remedies will cure it." _

Dark Ace's eyes widened. Two words came to his lips.

"Genius, Heron."

* * *

The engine room was stuffy, but Junko and Stork worked without complaint. Since their last battle with the Cyclonians, the Condor was in terrible condition. If Stork had to guess a reason why that was, he would say that the airship's in-built shields had failed. He should have serviced them sooner. Maybe then they wouldn't be in such a mess.

Junko seemed to read his mind. "You couldn't have known that the shields weren't working, there's no way to tell. Besides, we'd just serviced the Condor recently. Who would have expected such a disaster?"

Stork gave a rueful smile. "On a scale of one to ten, how much would you rate Aerrow's survival chances?"

"Ten," Junko replied fiercely.

"Junko."

The Wallop looked away. Stork heard sniffling. In a voice thicker than before, Junko replied, "I overheard Suzy Lu telling Piper about how they could barely make it past the first hundred meters of the forest."

Stork's face was clear of all emotion. "It's a pretty dense jungle. And they fell from quite a height."

"Stork, just don't."

The merb averted his eyes from his devastated friend. "Apologies."

Junko said nothing.

Stork walked to the other end of the engine room, deep in thought. His foot hit the bump in on the metal floor and he almost tripped. _Damn that stupid thing, _he cursed. He never really knew why that bump existed. It had just always been there. Stork never really gave it much thought, but now, in the wake of Aerrow's disappearance, he'd take any opportunity to distract himself from his own theories of doom.

* * *

Finn awoke in the infirmary to Radarr sniffing his face. The first thought that crossed his mind was that the little blue creature had a very large nose.

* * *

**A/N: Weird ending, right? Don't worry. GB has some ideas for Radarr. I've never really used him much in my stories, have I? **

**Speaking of stories, I've finally found a new fandom to obsess over! Naruto! I've been watching the anime non-stop for a few weeks now. I am SO IN LOVE with Naruto's teacher, Kakashi Sensei. (Man, I love being a fangirl.) **

**Anyway, before I go on an obsessive rant over Kakashi and his awesomeness over here, I'm going to stop typing and go read some Naruto fanfiction instead. **

**Thanks for reading. Please review! **


	12. Cerberus and Berry Picking

**A/N: I have no excuse. I basically spent my time watching Naruto anime and reading Naruto fanfiction…so…yeah…sorry about the late update xD**

* * *

Eventually, Aerrow must have fallen asleep because in the early hours of morning, he woke up. The forest was nothing but dark silhouettes against a sky that was nearing dawn. It was surprisingly chilly and quite loud. The trees were abundant with songs of bird call.

The pain that had evaded him during his rest came back to him in full force. The young Sky Knight flinched as he sat up. He blinked at the ash that had once been a campfire, momentarily confused. Then it came back to him.

"Did I really just team up with Dark Ace?" he spoke aloud, his voice sounding dry and exhausted even to him.

Waitaminute.

Dark Ace. Where the hell _was he? _A flame of panic came over Aerrow as he turned his head violently to all sides. Nope, nope, nope. Where was that rat bastard? Where was the sword? Had he been double-crossed?

"Idiot!" he cursed himself. That's what would happen if you put your trust in the enemy. Now what was he going to do?

* * *

There were seven men. Their faces were masked with black fabric up to their noses, leaving their eyes naked. No emotion flickered in their pupils. Their uniforms, coloured like charcoal and dried blood, were impeccable, not a crease or a tear in them. Each soldier had a crystal-tipped sword and a utility pouch strapped to their belts. They stared straight ahead, as though they saw right through Ravess.

The pink haired Talon stood before them, the slightest hint of a smile on her face. "Team Cerberus," she started, "You have been trained for this very purpose. This mission, your first is simple. Seek and destroy. By the end of it, there shouldn't even be a recognizable body."

The team's captain raised a hand.

"Yes, Omega One?"

The captain's mask hid a wicked smile. "Ma'am, permission to employ the forbidden methods?"

Omega One felt his team tense a little.

Ravess gave him a look of amusement. "Do what you must, Captain, do what you must."

* * *

"_Quite frankly, it amazes me that you can tell the difference between two identical looking leaves."_

"_They are NOT identical, Ace," Heron responded with mild exasperation to his tone. _

"_They look the same to me." _

"_That's because you're an idiot." _

"_Tch." _

_Heron chuckled. "Anyway, it isn't that big a deal. Smell them." With that, he gave Ace two small green leaves. _

_Suspiciously, Ace sniffed. "I'm sorry, I think I'm missing something here." _

_Heron rolled his eyes in a slightly histrionic manner. "One of them smells sort of minty. The other doesn't have a smell." _

"_Fascinating." _

"_THAT'S HOW YOU TELL THE DIFFERENCE. Sheesh." _

"_Eh…okay." _

"_You know what? Forget it, just forget it. Here, take the stupid leaves and put them in the bowl. You do your job, I'll do mine." _

"_You're no fun, Heron." _

"_You're an idiot, Ace." _

Back then, it was quite easy. Heron would do all the work: carefully picking the right ingredients, making sure that none of the berries were actually poisonous, checking that the plant itself didn't have any diseases…all the hard, scary work was done by him. Dark Ace just tagged along, holding the bowl and making wisecracks. It actually used to be fun. Heron was the eldest son of a gardener. This sort of thing just came naturally to him.

Now however, Ace was being extra careful. For every little thing, he'd go right back to his memory banks, checking and double checking each ingredient. He sniffed the leaf in his hand. The scent was extremely faint, but he caught a peppermint aroma. He put it on a piece of broken tree bark he'd found; his make-shift 'bowl'. He stared hungrily at the colourful berries he'd picked, but decided against eating them. Those were medicinal. He knew they tasted bad.

With a sigh, he got back to picking.

* * *

**A/N: I was going to write more, but suddenly my plot bunny disappeared into a rabbit hole. Thanks for reading! :)**


	13. Fixing Things and Breaking Things

**A/N: College begins on Monday. I am SO excited. Though, I'm going to have to wake up every day at five in the morning to get there on time. (A two hour commute can really kill you, seriously.) But I'm sure I'll get used to it! (Hopefully, anyway). **

* * *

"What the _fuck_ is that?" Aerrow asked with his nose turned skywards. "It stinks like no-one's business."

Dark Ace sat back against a tree trunk, deeply amused. His undisguised smirk taunted Aerrow. "That, kid, is medicine."

"_Medicine?_"

"Yep. You see, you're very sick." Dark Ace's smirk grew more pronounced. "Don't you deny it, I'm not in the mood to play nurse, and I'm especially not in the mood for any heroics."

Aerrow was actually about to deny it, but then he held his tongue. His head was pounding and he was finding it very difficult to think. Plus, he was getting chills and a lot of dizziness. Instead, he decided on an acerbic response. In his illness-induced delirium, he only managed a pathetic, "Shut up."

Dark Ace ignored it. "How about I tell you a personal story?" he began, his sneer unwavering. Taking in Aerrow's stricken expression, he nodded. "Yep, a personal story is in order."

"What are you getting at?"

"Hmm, okay. So, when I was with the Storm Hawks—" he noticed the boy's expression sharpen, "We were stuck on Terra Ferus, right, and one of my teammates, Finch—you know, he was popular as Supershot, fell ill. And we couldn't figure it out. At first, we all assumed it was a bad flu. Healer Crystals wouldn't work much. It would cure the symptoms for a few hours but that was all. But then Heron figured out that certain plants help in fighting the disease."

"Heron? Wait, you mean _Heron the Birdwing?" _

"Yes, the very one. He was called 'Birdwing' because of flying skills that could not be contested in all of Atmos."

"I know. How did he figure it out?" Aerrow asked, trying and failing to keep the eagerness out of his voice. Dark Ace felt like laughing and rolling his eyes all at once.

"He figured it out by accident. When Ori—when our crystal expert made a stew with some berries and Finch's fever dropped overnight. So we kept on experimenting with the plants until we found a combination that worked. And well, here you go," with that, Dark Ace thrust a piece of tree bark towards Aerrow. There was some green _stuff _on it that could have been anything from poison to bird shit. "It's supposed to be more liquid, but that isn't important. Adding water just makes it go down easier but I don't feel like trudging all the way to the river now."

"I am _not _having that."

"Yes, you are. Listen, if you die, we both die. Do you know what this disease will do to you? Unless we arrest it in time, you're going to get weaker and weaker. You'll start hallucinating, vomiting and coughing up blood. It will destroy muscle tissue and give you an early onset of osteoporosis. Luckily for you, it hasn't gotten too bad yet. Just keep swallowing this paste all day and it should be fine by tomorrow. If you allow it to fester, you're going to have a very slow and painful death."

"…Is that what happened to Finch?"

"Finch? Oh, no. He recovered, barely. What killed Finch was a sword. My sword." Dark Ace waved his hand in an unaffected fashion. "But that's besides the point. So, you either take it willingly or I'll shove it down your throat."

It was Aerrow's turn to smirk. "Shove it down my throat? You can barely walk."

"And yet, I'm the one with the sword." And Dark Ace's eyes widened momentarily. "I just remembered." And then he hobbled over to where Aerrow was, sat down beside him. With rough movements, he grabbed Aerrow's injured arm.

The Sky Knight SCREAMED in surprise and agony.

It was over in under a minute and Aerrow passed out.

"There. Fixed his arm," Dark Ace told himself. With his own remaining sleeve, he created a sort of…well, a cast, like he'd done for his own foot. Without any sympathy whatsoever, he secured Aerrow's broken bone. _That should do it. _

* * *

"Where the hell is everybody?" Finn asked loudly. The broken windscreen glass had been removed, leaving a gaping hole. It made the airship chilly, but the sniper ignored it.

Stork looked up from the machine part he was fixing. "Piper, Starling, Rex Guardians, Absolute Zeroes, Third Degree Burners…the whole party, all of them are out searching with no progress."

Finn nodded solemnly. Then, "You look like a mummy."

Stork's whole face was covered in bandages. Unhappily, he replied, "Don't rub it in."

"Where are Junko and Radarr? I remember Radarr waking me up…and then I think I passed out again."

"Engine room. Fixing stuff."

"Oh. Can I help?"

"With one hand in a sling and no experience with technology? I doubt it."

"Where must be something I can do, Stork!"

The merb scratched his head. "Okay. Do a coffee run."

"Are you serious?" Finn asked, unamused.

"As a heart attack."

"…Fine. You like yours black, right?"

"Black, strong, no sugar."

"Got it." Finn sighed. "I'll be back in a bit, then."

"Okay."

* * *

Master Cyclonis was in a bad mood. So far, she had received no reports about Dark Ace's whereabouts, had found out that one of her territories would need reinforcements because the people were protesting, and now, her crystal lab was bothering her.

Well, the lab itself was just as it always was. A large, gloomy room with crystals of every shape and size placed neatly in glass bell jars. There were shelves and drawers labelled with things like, _Density Tester _and _Energy Scope. _There were diagrams of molecular structures and Crystalometry charts on the walls. There was a blackboard littered with complicated calculations. Weird apparatus cluttered the tables and countless books adorned every inch of the place.

But there was something missing.

Cyclonis had always had this sixth sense when it came to her crystals. She just knew where each one was. She kept her things meticulously. She didn't like messy workspaces. So this glaring _absence _of something was like an itch she couldn't scratch.

From one of the drawers, the girl took out a file with laboratory's contents listed in it. With a long sigh, she started checking things off.

And half an hour later, her eyes widened. Her heart started hammering almost out of her ribcage. With shaking hands, she unlocked a dusty metal chest in the corner of the room.

Well, it _should _have been dusty. It hadn't been touched since her grandmother's time. Seeing that lack of dirtiness, she almost started to hyperventilate.

The chest was empty.

_Where have they gone? WHERE? _

With a surge of horror she had never experienced before, she said out loud, "The Raag Crystals are missing."

* * *

Finn noticed three small ripples in Stork's extra strong black coffee. It was weird. He hadn't stirred it or anything.

Then, from the bridge, he heard Stork shout.

_What on earth? _

The airship started to rumble, like it was caught in an earthquake.

He heard his friend's muffled cry. "FINN! FINN! WE'RE UNDER ATTA—SHIT!"

The explosion threw Finn off his feet.

* * *

**A/N: Aaah, cliffhangers, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways. **

**And whilst I count the ways, please review-eth this chapter-eth immediately-eth. **

**Goodbye-eth. **


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